PLAY IT AGAIN

Daniel Cabrera continued his lackluster play against Boston, allowing six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss. He is 2-11 with a 7.13 ERA in 16 starts against the Red Sox in his career. In those games, the Orioles are 4-12. After allowing 12 base runners last night, Cabrera has yielded 155 hits or walks to the Red Sox in 77 innings.

A major difference

Cabrera and Daisuke Matsuzaka each got off to a rocky start last night, but only one was able to steady himself to turn in a scoreless first inning. And it wasn't Cabrera. The Orioles right-hander allowed a leadoff single to Jacoby Ellsbury, walked Dustin Pedroia and surrendered an RBI single to David Ortiz before getting his first out. The Red Sox added another run in the inning on Jason Bay's sacrifice fly. Trailing 2-0, the Orioles put their first two batters on against Matsuzaka. However, the right-hander struck out Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff and then retired Ramon Hernandez on a flyout.

Bases-loaded baron

No major league pitcher has done a better job getting out of bases-loaded jams this year than Matsuzaka, and he did it again in the fourth inning. The Orioles loaded the bases with one out and red-hot hitters Mora and Huff coming up. Matsuzaka struck out Mora on a full count and then induced Huff to pop up to end the threat. The opposition is 0-for-14 with the bases loaded against Matsuzaka this year.

On deck

The Orioles continue their homestand tonight (7:05) with left-hander Chris Waters making his fourth major league start opposite young Boston right-hander Clay Buchholz (2-8, 6.32). Buchholz, 24, has looked nothing like the pitcher who no-hit the Orioles in his second major league start in September, allowing four earned runs or more in eight of his 13 starts this season. He has had just one quality start over his past nine outings, and that stretch included a July 11 loss to the Orioles in which he allowed four earned runs and 10 base runners in five innings. After pitching eight shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels in his major league debut, Waters has allowed eight earned runs over his previous two starts spanning 8 2/3 innings.